Again from Notte Bianca. All public places and museums were open for the public to visit. This beautifully decorated well is in the central courtyard of the Auberge d’Italie, former seat of the Italian knights. Today it houses the Ministry of Tourism and Culture and the Malta Tourism Authority. On the ground next to the well you can see bottles left over by some extra-educated fools.
Because Malta does not have an abundant rainfall, the inhabitants have always been conscious on water preservation. When the building of Valletta was begun in 1566 there were laws (perhaps these existed even before) that made it obligatory to have a well in each and every household. In fact every house had to provide its building blocks by quarrying stone from the same site thus making large underground cisterns where rainwater could be stored. The law – I stand to be corrected – is still in existance but not enforced nowadays because – with the building of large apartment blocks, also having 3 or 4 underground storeys for garage spaces – it is impossible for it to be enforced. However, the necessity for such water storage is not that important nowadays because we get much of our water from the sea through reverse osmosis plants (at a heavy cost for consumers). I have to say that Malta is surrounded by the cleanest water in the Mediterranean.
Many thanks for looking and for your wonderful comments on yesterday's picture.
